Aug 25, 2016
Assignment #9 is going to give your teenager and you a chance to see some of the most innovative ideas some colleges have, in my opinion. And it’s such a simple topic: that is, how is the academic year scheduled into terms--semesters, trimester, quarters, or whatever. But, first, let’s review what you have already done (and that’s a lot with eight assignments completed, we hope):
- You have expanded your teenager’s long summer list of college options.
- You have checked out four key admission standards for the colleges on that list--namely, average high school GPA, high school class rank, SAT or ACT scores of admitted and/or enrolled freshmen, and both required and recommended courses to be completed in high school.
- You have looked at each college’s undergraduate enrollment, broken down by part-time vs. full-time study, gender, race/ethnicity, and place of residence.
- You have checked out the student-to-faculty ratio and class sizes for each college on the list.
- You have looked at the type of community each college is located in and what it has to offer off campus.
- You have seen what kind of core curriculum requirements--if any--are in place at each college.
- And you have checked out the types of campus housing available at each college and what some of its security measures are.
That list is getting so long that it’s hard to review it each week. Good for you, listeners, if you are keeping up with all of the assignments.
1. Your Assignment #9
Download the Assignment #9 Worksheet
So, for Assignment #9, your teenager and you are going to examine the way each college divides up its academic year into terms. This information is readily available on the college’s website. For many colleges, this question will produce a rather traditional response something like this: a fall semester and a spring semester, each running about 15 weeks, give or take a week. Yes, there will also be a summer term or two, and there might even be a super-short winter term between the two semesters. But there are other ways to skin that cat.
2. Why Does Scheduling Matter?
Various schedules can be differently appealing to various students. Some students prefer working on several subjects and projects at the same time because that keeps them from getting bored and the ones they like a lot help make up for others that they have to do, for example, to meet distribution requirements. Other students prefer concentrating on one subject or project because that allows them to pay close attention to that one thing and do the very best job they can with it.
Some students like to study something over many weeks because that allows them time for calm reflection and for breaks every once in a while. Other students like to study something over a shorter time period because that keeps them better engaged and focused and allows less time for forgetting.
Some students can do very well when asked to concentrate on subjects or projects in short bursts, but have trouble sustaining interest and attention over longer time frames. Other students are just the opposite.
Colleges can take all of these factors into account in putting together a schedule that does not have to conform to the traditional semester schedule.
3. Examples of Innovative Scheduling
Here are some innovative scheduling options we mentioned when we did our virtual nationwide tour of colleges (Episodes 27 through 54). Maybe your teenager would be intrigued by schedules like these:
- Carleton College (in Northfield, Minnesota) operates on a trimester schedule of three 10-week terms, with students taking just three courses at a time, rather than the typical four or five. This schedule allows for the in-depth thinking Carleton prides itself on having students do in their courses.
- At Bennington College (in Bennington, Vermont), some courses run three weeks, some seven weeks, and some the full 14 weeks each term, with credits assigned accordingly. So, that is something for everyone and allows for lots of changes during the semester as courses come and go.
- Sterling College (in Craftsbury Common, Vermont) is a federally recognized Work College—one of seven in the U.S.—which means that all residential students earn money toward their tuition by working in a job that supports the operation of the College or nearby community. Interestingly, Sterling operates three full semesters per year—fall, spring, and summer—and students may attend all three (and finish college sooner) or the traditional two per year. Student applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, and students may enter at any one of the three semesters.
- Perhaps the most interesting thing about Colorado College (in Colorado Springs) is its unique Block Plan, where students take all of their courses on a one-at-a-time schedule, studying in each course for three and a half weeks, typically from 9:00 a.m. to noon each weekday—followed by a four-day break to relax and enjoy the natural beauty of Colorado’s mountains and forests and canyons. Each block is the equivalent of one college course; students take four blocks per semester, or eight blocks per year, or 32 blocks during their time at the College. Personally, I find this schedule totally persuasive and wildly appealing.
4. Examples of Cooperative Education Schedules
Let’s take a look at two colleges that do something even more dramatic in their scheduling, which is to make room for significant cooperative work experiences:
- A hallmark of Drexel University (in Philadelphia) is its cooperative education program, described this way on Drexel’s website:
Drexel Co-op is based on paid employment in practical, major-related positions consistent with the interests and abilities of participating students. The benefits are obvious—during their time at Drexel, students experience up to three different co-ops.…
Through the co-op program:
Students choose from more than 1,600 employers in 33 states and 48 international locations, or conduct an independent search.
The average paid six-month co-op salary is more than $16,000.
Co-op students are entrusted with projects vital to the day-to-day functioning of the workplace. (quoted from the website)
Drexel operates on 10-week quarters (rather than two longer semesters), which helps when it comes time to schedule co-op programs.
- Northeastern University (in Boston) describes its co-op program this way on its website:
The integration of study and professional experience enables students to put ideas into action through work, research, international study, and service in 93 countries around the world. . . .
Co-op is different from internships – our students alternate classroom studies with full-time work in career related jobs for six months. This allows employers to get real work done while evaluating talent before making any long-term commitments. Our employer relations team is dedicated to collaborating with employers to develop innovative and meaningful programs to engage our talented students. (quoted from the website)
About 90 percent of students at Northeastern do at least one co-op program (with one of the 3,000 co-op employers worldwide); many students do two. In fact, many students actually stay for a fifth year in order to complete a third co-op program.
So, have your teenager take the Assignment #9 worksheet about college scheduling and complete one for each college on his or her long summer list of college options.
Download the Assignment #9 Worksheet
The Kindle ebook version of our book, How To Find the Right College, is on sale for $1.99 all summer long! Read it on your Kindle device or download the free Kindle app for any tablet or smartphone. The book is also available as a paperback workbook.
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